The Malevolent Inkstone
by Devi77
Summary: Eighth story of "Eduardo's Tales." Eduardo and Kylie go up against a demon sealed in an inkstone that is similar to a case from the past while contending with people with a very bad feeding frenzy!
1. Chapter 1

**Eduardo's Tales**

**Story 8: The Malevolent Inkstone**

**Chapter 1**

(Rated T for violence, brief nudity, adult content, alcohol content, and mild language)

(DISCLAIMER: No, I do not own Eduardo Rivera and Kylie Griffin from _Extreme Ghostbusters, _nor do I have the right to copy the anime series, _Mushi-Shi, _which has inspired me to bring our favorite slacker and Goth girl into a strange world that exists beyond time. So, enjoy the show!)

It was night in the city of Chagum as everyone was falling asleep. It had been over a week since the battle for the city as everybody from the Mumtaz Region and Orlin had returned home. With only Tsuchimaru remaining behind, he was busy tending to the stables that were owned by the Bandit King as he was also pining for a beautiful young woman with teal hair. She was the older sister of Yashakune as she was dressed in Han Dynasty clothes. Tsuchimaru adored her as she was more stunning and curvier more than anything. The oldest son of Souichiro loved curvy women as they were more beautiful that the ones that were deemed too thin. The woman even had large breasts that slightly stuck out of her clothes as she was walking towards the soldier.

"It's a nice evening," she said.

"Oh, you're such a cutie," said Tsuchimaru as he walked closer to her.

"By the way, kind sir, what's your name?"

"My name is Tsuchimaru Imazato, son of the famous soldier Souichiro Imazato."

"My name is Orochihime Tomiyori. You've already met my dad and little brother."

"Well, after I get the horses all bedded down, maybe I should ask you out on-"

A loud piercing scream shook the city as Tsuchimaru and Orochihime saw a few soldiers run toward the inner castle. Something was wrong as they ran towards the castle courtyard. To their shock, they saw the steward of Chagum as he was being carted off towards the hospital. What was wrong with him an why was he so ill all of a sudden? Tsuchimaru and Orochihime saw a strange inkstone near the fountain as it was radiating with a bizarre energy. The inkstone carried a strange figure inside as it resembled a strange monster from long ago in the past.

"There's something in there," said Orochihime.

"It's a Rakshasa," said Tsuchimaru as he picked up the inkstone.

"A Rakshasa? I thought those were mere fairytales."

"In the past, the Rakshasa King wreaked havoc on people when he weaved his spells on fresh fruits and vegetables. This one is a minion of the Rakshasa King who's been trapped in this inkstone."

"I'll take that," said a woman with lavender hair as she snatched the inkstone away from Tsuchimaru.

"Dr. Uchihino, I presume... I suggest you've got a problem with whatever's inside of it."

"My crippled ancestor and his friends once fought Ravana and kept him locked away for the rest of his days. If I were you, I suggest that you and your friend had better stay away from this inkstone before you end up like the Steward."

Tsuchimaru and Orochihime watched Dr. Uchihino walk away with the inkstone as she was about to take it into the archives of scientific and paranormal relics. She had heard about the ancient incident that featured the notorious Ravana as he devoured the energy that was housed by his victims. She couldn't let another incident happen again as she placed the inkstone into a glass box and set it on a table. Unknown in the shadows was a tall young man with blond hair as he was ready to take back the inkstone and release the creature that was harbored inside of it.

###

Eduardo was busy taking a shower as he was about to start the morning run at the inn. The warm water had soothed him as it made him feel a lot better. It wouldn't be long until he would be dressed and ready to work at the inn. Getting out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist as he was about to open up the door. To his shock, he saw Kylie standing in his way as she was wearing a lavender Han Dynasty-style dress with her hair put up. She look stunning as she was also looking at Eduardo as he was very embarrassed while holding the towel around his waist.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me like that!" he yelled with a look of shock on his face.

"We need to go to the inner castle, Eduardo," said Kylie.

"Wait..., something is wrong there, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but how did you know?"

"The Steward's been taken ill, but he continues to eat constantly."

"_You _and Roland tried to eat constantly while we were catching Ravana, remember?"

Eduardo remembered the incident very carefully as he was reminded of the legendary Rakshasa King as he even had a stomachache afterwards. He couldn't stomach the fact that a Rakshasa was hiding in an inkstone as he rushed to his room and got on his clothes. Dressed in a black and gold Han Dynasty-style robe and sandals, he even slicked his hair back and put it in a hat as he got his staff and went downstairs with Kylie following him. Something was wrong within the inner castle as they left the inn and darted toward their destination. They had to find something out as they were ready to investigate the paranormal in a such a long time.

###

Dr. Uchihino returned to the museum as she saw two security guards pig out on a large bamboo box full of dim sum. Something was terribly wrong as she saw the inkstone on the floor next to the box. The Rakshasa was active from within the inkstone as it was glowing with hunger. She had to call the guards immediately before something else happens as she later saw Eduardo and Kylie rush into the room where inkstone lay. The item was fully loaded with ecto as it was still glowing beyond the sensation of food and drink.

"Haven't we seen this pattern before?" asked Eduardo.

"How did this happen?" asked Kylie.

"It's the inkstone," said Dr. Uchihino. "By the way, it is forbidden for commoners to enter the inner castle of Chagum!"

"This isn't time to discuss which people are allowed into the castle right now, Dr. Uchihino." said Eduardo as he was searching for more clues about the Rakshasa's aura. "The Steward himself was afflicted by the curse that was in the inkstone."

"Oh, bite me, Goat Boy! My crippled ancestor helped you and your girlfriend in a past life contain the Rakshasa King thousands of years ago. Are you telling us that the monster in the inkstone is stirring while devouring the essences of living things all at once?"

Eduardo ran swiftly past Dr. Uchihino as he rushed swiftly towards the room of the Steward. His worst fears were confirmed as he saw the ill man become drained from an unknown source. It was the Rakshasa itself feeding off of the Steward as it was still encased inside the inkstone. When Kylie entered into the room where Eduardo was, she was shocked to see that the Steward was still hungry despite the fact that he was eating too much of the fruit and figs that was brought to him. This was a strange problem that both she and Eduardo had seen before as they were ready to study the inkstone from the relics chamber where as they had no choice but to take it from Dr. Uchihino.

"The Rakshasa is growing despite being captive in that inkstone," said Eduardo.

"Tell me about it," said Kylie as she spotted Dr. Uchihino arguing with the same blond-haired man from earlier outside the Steward's room. "Who is that man and why is he arguing with the good doctor all of a sudden?"

"Maybe he wants the inkstone all to himself or so we think..."

"Well, come on! We haven't got all day!"

Eduardo and Kylie left the Stewads room as they followed Dr. Uchihino who was chasing the blond-haired man from before. They wanted to see what he was up to as he had business of his own with the same inkstone that housed the Rakshasa. Whatever that man was up to, he needed to take back the deadly package to where it came from before it was too late. Both Eduardo and Kylie finally caught up to both Dr. Uchihino and the blond-haired man as they were arguing outside a produce market where various fruits and vegetables were sold by the bunches.

##

Tsuchimaru was investigating the suspicious activity that involved the inkstone as he was in a hospital room full of patients who were gorging themselves. This situation was starting to get even worse as the patients were also given several food pills that still weren't enough to satisfy their ongoing feeding frenzy. Tsuchimaru had to find Eduardo and Kylie as he was ready to get to the bottom of this strange debacle. The Rakshasa in the inkstone was getting fed from inside its prison and the patients were having their essences drained out of their bodies.

"Any progress?" asked Orochihime as she came in the room.

"No, but the patients here have one hell of a feeding frenzy... _and _they're eating hospital food," said Tsuchimaru. "That Rakshasa's been glutting down their essences like a battery being drained."

"Perhaps we need to tell Dr. Uchihino about this."

"Are you kidding?! Dr. Uchihino wants to take the inkstone and put it on display while the patients here continue to gorge themselves on a hourly basis! If Eduardo and Kylie knew about this, they would get to the root of the problem and stop it before it's too late!"

Tsuchimaru and Orochihime watched the patients get their energy sucked out as they were about to continue on their feeding frenzy. Both soldier and curvy stable girl had to tell Eduardo and Kylie as they left the hospital and continued towards the inner castle. There had to be a solution that was still in play, for there wasn't much time to subdue the Rakshasa in the inkstone.

###

"That inkstone must be brought back to the Sita Region, Dr. Uchihino," said the blond-haired man.

"This inkstone is private property and it also belongs to the Steward, Dr. Hanover," she answered.

The blond-haired man meant business as he was ready to bring back the inkstone to the Sita Region no matter what the danger. He was sent in by Queen Durga as she was even concerned about the release of the Rakshasa. Dr. Hanover had heard stories about the Rakshasas as he once listened in on the story of King Ravana's capture. He couldn't let the Rakshasa fall in the wrong hands as he went and snatched the inkstone from Dr. Uchihino. He had to take it back until he accidentally dropped it into a small fountain. Picking it up, he saw the inkstone glow as it was beginning to weaken the Rakshasa's prison. He saw Dr. Uchihino lunge toward him with her knife as she seized him by the throat.

"Drop the inkstone!" she yelled as she had her knife near Dr. Hanover's throat.

"You don't understand!" cried Dr. Hanover. "I _must _take back the inkstone before something dire happens to someone else!"

"Dr. Uchihino!" cried Eduardo as he pointed his staff at her. "Let him go!"

"The inkstone stays here!"

"That thing contains a Rakshasa in there!" cried Kylie as she pointed her own staff at Dr. Uchihino.

"The inkstone belongs to the Steward!"

To their shock, all four saw a crowd run toward a produce stand as they continued to eat constantly without guilt. The effects of the inkstone had affected the crowd as they were hauled off by guards who were taking them to the hospital. The Rakshasa was getting stronger as it was about to break free from the inkstone. It needed more nourishment from the hosts that ate from the produce stand as its inkstone prison began to crack. The Rakshasa was about enter the world as it was ready to feed on its victims by tainting everything it touches.

"What's happening?!" cried Dr. Hanover as he dropped the inkstone.

"The Rakshasa's about to be set free!" cried Kylie.

"We can't let it get out!" yelled Eduardo. "I call upon the power of Vajra to encase this demonic tablet and its prisoner!"

A diamond-like sphere emerged as it covered the demonic inkstone. Eduardo's incantation worked for the time being as it sealed the Rakshasa's prison for the time being. When Dr. Hanover took the sphere from the ground, he was ready to take it back to the Sita Region as he was about to be rewarded by Queen Durga. The Rakshasa may have been encased even further, but the feeding frenzies from the villagers continued. Just as Dr. Hanover was about to leave, the sphere cracked as the inkstone was free along with the Rakshasa.

"What's happening?!" he cried.

"We're too late," said Eduardo. "The Rakshasa has already tainted enough food to create his storage intake like a large battery."

The inkstone was finally broken as the Rakshasa was free to roam and taint any form of food it touched. Eduardo had to stop it before it was too late. With Kylie and Dr. Uchihino following him along with Dr. Hanover, they ran towards the outside of the castle, only to find that the Rakshasa was hiding along the produce market waiting for the time to strike. They didn't have time left, for the Rakshasa's true motives were about to begin...

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Eduardo's Tales**

**Story 8: The Malevolent Inkstone**

**Chapter 2**

(Rated T for violence, brief nudity, adult content, alcohol content, and mild language)

(DISCLAIMER: No, I do not own Eduardo Rivera and Kylie Griffin from _Extreme Ghostbusters, _nor do I have the right to copy the anime series, _Mushi-Shi, _which has inspired me to bring our favorite slacker and Goth girl into a strange world that exists beyond time. So, enjoy the show!)

The Rakshasa made its move on another farmer's market as it spotted the bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables that were waiting to be bought and eaten. The demon began to weave its dangerous spell as it passed through a basket full of apples. One of the peasants that was shopping there had spotted the basket of delicious apples as he was ready to buy one. After paying one _xu _for one of the apples, the peasant took a bite as a strange behavior overtook him. It was the Rakshasa's influence that took him over as he began to snatch the apples and gobbled them up. The vendor was shocked to see such trouble as he saw two more peasants eating some of the tainted fruit and vegetables as they were hankering for more. Something was wrong here and the vendor had no choice but to get help from an unlikely source.

The vendor had heard of Eduardo once before as he was said to be travelling throughout the Roads and beyond. To an unlikely source of information, the vendor also found that Eduardo and Kylie were the ones who helped out against the forces of King Gothmog as they drove them away with the help of the soldiers from the Mumtaz Region and Orlin. Hope was on the way as the vendor finally caught up to them as they were on their way back to the inn with Dr. Hanover and Dr. Uchihino following them with what was left of the inkstone.

"I've failed the Queen" said Dr. Hanover.

"If you hadn't stolen that inkstone and bungled everything, we wouldn't be in this situation right now," said Dr. Uchihino.

"All we have to do is wait and see what happens..."

"Leave it to Goat Boy and Goth Girl to solve this matter... Like _that's _ever gonna happen..."

"We should have faith in the Muah regardless. I can't let this problem slide and neither can you."

Dr. Uchihino looked at Dr. Hanover with an angry look on her face as she had plenty of disdain for him after trying to snatch the inkstone. She even had no choice but to see what happens next when the Rakshasa was about to attack and make its next move.

###

"The peasants at the market were eating _everything_!" cried the vendor as he was at his wit's end.

"Calm down, sir," said Eduardo.

"Was the food tainted?" asked Kylie.

"Yes...," said the vendor as he broke down sobbing. "The villagers here are cursed by their own gluttony!"

"It's the Rakshasa!" cried Eduardo. "It's already tainted the food at close range!"

Eduardo ran away from the inn as he went towards the farmer's market. The appalling behavior of the peasants had gotten even worse as they were even searching throughout the rubbish bins. It wasn't long until he bumped into Tsuchimaru as he was armed with a dousing crystal and a strange trap. What was he doing and why is he so determined to have the same goal as Eduardo?

"Tsuchimaru, what are you doing here?" asked Eduardo.

"I've been on the same hunch as you," he answered. "The Rakshasa's been tainting everything in the farmer's market!"

"Then, we'll find it, one way or the-"

To Eduardo's shock, he saw Kylie gorging down of a basket full of peaches as she was under the Rakshasa's spell. Her metabolism increased by the tenfold as she was later hit by a _senbon _laced with laudanum. With Eduardo catching her, she was briefly asleep as she was placed on a bench near the water fountain. He was scared for her along with the peasants and the Steward as he was ready to stop the Rakshasa with the help of Tsuchimaru.

"Damn it!" he cried. "This never ends, does it?"

"Tell me about it!" cried Tsuchimaru. "That Rakshasa has got everything put under its tainted spell!"

Eduardo and Tsuchimaru spotted several guards cart off the peasants and Kylie as they were off to the hospital. They were even aware of the tainted food as Dr. Uchihino and Dr. Hanover were among the crowd while finding clues to the Rakshasa's reign of food terror. Both doctors weren't out of the fight yet as they saw the Rakshasa up in the air near a tower as it was getting twice as big while feeding off of the energy of everyone who was infected by its tainted spell. They all had to stop it before it fed off anymore victims as it was flying away from the farmer's market.

###

Eduardo and Tsuchimaru returned to the hospital as they saw Orochihime tending to some of the patients that were under the influence of the Rakshasa. Everyone was chowing down on hospital food as their metabolism had skyrocketed. With Kylie put into one of the beds, she was also eating some of the contents of the hospital food as she was under the urge of the Rakshasa's feeding frenzy. Eduardo was concerned for Kylie as he was worried about her with such trouble in his heart. He had to save her and the rest of the patients before the Rakshasa did any more damage.

"Hold on, Kylie," he said worriedly.

"I think we should have a little chat with the two bickering doctors," said Tsuchimaru.

"These patients are out of control!" cried Orochihime as she was carrying the cart towards the door.

"Tell me about it! All they ever do is eat and veg out in a-"

Eduardo walked towards the door to the hospital ward as he had his staff in his hands. He wanted not only to save the peasants, but Kylie as well. The gluttonous demon was still at large as it was waiting for the right moment to strike. He had to find it before it manages to feed off more energy in a single day at least.

###

Dr. Hanover looked at the broken inkstone as it was severed in half. He was devastated that he couldn't bring back the Rakshasa to Queen Durga in time as he picked it up. To his assumptions, he had to put his faith in Eduardo this time as they saw him and Tsuchimaru walk towards them while they were ready to put a dent in the Rakshasa's feeding frenzy.

"The inkstone prison is no more," said Dr. Uchihino somberly.

"There is still hope in catching the Rakshasa," said Eduardo.

"How?!" cried Dr. Hanover worriedly. "We can't even zero in on the damn thing!"

"_I _can, _compadre..._"

Eduardo began to close his eyes as he began to enter into a trance. The sensing trance was the hardest thing that he had ever mastered as he began to see himself with the kodama searching all over the city. They were looking for the Rakshasa as they later found it in a place that was filled with many fruits and vegetables that were waiting to be shipped into the city. Eduardo had to find it before it did anymore damage and fast! Waking up from the trance, he began to feel a bit dizzy as he nearly lost his balance.

"Eduardo," said Tsuchimaru. "I think you need to rest up for a little bit."

"There's no time," he said as he maintained control fo his balance. "The Rakshasa's at the harbor where all the food coming into Chagum is being held at."

"If we catch that thing, we're gonna need to find a ghost trap."

"We _still_ have a chance, _amigo._"

Eduardo spotted the broken halves of the inkstone that Dr. Hanover had as he snatched them up and put them in his bag. The blond-haired doctor had viewed Eduardo's methods as insane as he followed after him along with Dr. Uchihino. Both doctors were concerned about the unorthodox methods that came from the Muah traveller as they decided to go along with his plan.

"That man sure has plenty of experience," said Dr. Hanover.

"You mean Goat Boy?" said Dr. Uchihino. "He thinks he can trap that Rakshasa by sealing it back up in the inkstone, but I doubt it's gonna work."

"We can't let that demon feed on anyone else! At least we can try to trust Eduardo for once."

###

Eduardo and Tsuchimaru rushed toward the harbor as they were in the shipyard where some of the food was being sent in at. The Rakshasa was floating toward the various crates of food as it was ready to weave its spell on whoever eats it. With both halves of the inkstone in his hands, Eduardo was ready to put more effort into trapping the gluttonous demon as he drew out his staff and began to conduct and recite a very powerful incantation. To his shock, he saw the Rakshasa fly toward him as it branched out its claws. The demon was slightly slow when it nearly clawed Eduardo as he was twirling his staff with full force.

To his shock, he saw a blue-haired man lunge toward him with a knife as he seized him by the throat. The attacker himself was a rival of Dr. Hanover as he wanted to find and protect the Rakshasa from being sealed up in that inkstone once again. He always loved the paranormal in such a dangerous way as he was about to kill Eduardo where he stood. The Rakshasa needed to be protected despite the danger as the attacker brought his knife closer to Eduardo's throat.

"Well, well," said the attacker. "Eduardo Rivera, I presume? You're trying to entrap the Rakshasa back in that inkstone, aren't you? Well, I won't allow it!"

"You're insane!" he cried. "Do you know how many people will be infected by the Rakshasa's trickery? Too many people will have their life essences being sucked into that demon!"

"The Rakshasa will never be trapped again!"

"You idiot!" cried Tsuchimaru as he drew out his sword. "Are you trying to protect such a heinous thing that's using this entire city as its stomach?! You're more of a fruit loop who's on the nutty side if you're trying to save such a gluttonous thing like that!"

Tsuchimaru drew out his dousing crystal as he wrapped it around his sword. With the Rakshasa still flying in the air, it was slightly blasted by the combined weapon of sword and crystal as it was hit and fell into the ocean. Tsuchimaru may have hit it, but it was still too powerful as it began to hide underneathe the dock. As for the attacker, however, he still had Eduardo as he had his knife to his throat. He swore that he would make the Muah traveller pay for having some help while dealing with the Rakshasa.

"Your friend may have wounded the Rakshasa, but _I've _got something more valuable to take with me to King Gothmog," said the attacker.

"Amaterasu's touch, burn thy enemy's hand," said Eduardo.

The attacker felt his hand sear as he dropped the knife onto the dock. Eduardo whacked him with his staff as he sent the assailant flying into a crate full fo grapes. With the attacker under the spell of the demon that he was protecting, he began to gobble up some of the grapes as he had an insatiable appetite for food. It wasn't long until he spotted Tsuchimaru going up against the Rakshasa as he was trying to keep it at bay. With the broken halves of the inkstone still at play, Eduardo had a much better incantation to perform as he was ready to seal the drain the demon and beat it at its own game.

"I call upon the power of Indra as my weapon," he said as he set both halves of the inkstone down onto the ground. "The heavens as my ally, the heavens as your enemy-"

"Eduardo, what are you doing?!" cried Tsuchimaru as he saw the Rakshasa being stunned in midair.

"I call upon the divine hand to punish thee-"

"Looks like you've got the hungry man where you want it-"

"And to bind thee-"

"I call upon the power of Poseidon's fury and entrap this demon!"

"And to banish you from whence you came back to your prison where you belong!"

The combined power of Eduardo's incantation and Tsuchimaru's summoning had bound the Rakshasa as it was pulled into the cracked inkstone. With the inkstone repaired and fixed, the Rakshasa was sealed in as Eduardo and Tsuchimaru used their combined talents to create a more damage-proof sphere that surrounded it. Even Tsuchimaru used the strange trap that he brought with him as he opened it up and sucked the sphere inside of it. The Rakshasa was sealed in once again as its spell was broken. With the peasants and Kylie freed, everyone and everything was back to normal as Eduardo and his allies were there to save the day.

###

It had been two days since the Rakshasa was recaptured as both Dr. Uchihino and Dr. Hanover had decided that the Rakshasa that was trapped in the inkstone had to be returned to the Sita Region after all, for there was a storage center that housed many demons over there. As for Eduardo, however, he had his hands full as he was busy tending to the patients who had stomachaches. Even Kylie wasn't feeling too well as she gulped down a mug full of hot ginger tea. To her surprise, she saw Eduardo carrying the cart as he was busy helping Tsuchimaru and Orochihime take care of the patients.

"So, I take it that you guys stopped the Rakshasa," said Kylie.

"The old hungry man's going back with Dr. Hanover and Dr. Uchihino to the Sita Region," said Tsuchimaru. "Lucky for us, there was a ghost trap that was put in play."

"Tsuchimaru," said Eduardo. "Thanks for backing me up at the harbor."

"Hey, if it wasn't for _you,_ Tsuchi-kun would have never caught it by itself," said Orochihime.

Everyone was grateful as the way things are were surfacing once again. After a rough day in catching the Rakshasa, Eduardo was staring out the window as he saw a grey kodama in a tree. The time was almost near when the Festival of the Spirits was about to commence in a few days. Both Eduardo and Kylie had no choice but to leave Chagum and travel the Roads to Ryuzaki, where the Festival was waiting for them...

**The End**


End file.
